Touch and Go: A Memoir

by Studs Terkel, Sydney Lewis (Contributor)

The extraordinary, widely praised memoir—"a masterpiece about a life which itself is a sort of masterpiece" (Oliver Sacks)

Chosen as a best book of the year in 2007 by the Chicago Tribune, Publishers Weekly , and Playboy , Studs Terkel's memoir Touch and Go is "history from a highly personal point of view, by one who has helped make it" ( Kirkus ).

Terkel takes us through his childhood and into his early experiences—as a law student during the Depression, as a young theatergoer, and eventually as an actor himself on both radio and the stage—offering a brilliant and often hilarious portrait of Chicago in the 1920s and '30s. Describing his beginnings as a disc jockey after World War II, his involvement with progressive politics during the McCarthy era, and later his career as an interviewer and oral historian, Touch and Go is a testament to Terkel's "generosity of spirit, sense of social justice and commitment to capture on his ever present tape recorder the voices of those who otherwise would not be heard" ( The New York Times Book Review ). It is a brilliant lifetime achievement from the man the Washington Post has called "the most distinguished oral historian of our time."

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, History, Biography Memoir, Audiobook, Politics

269 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2007

About the author

Louis "Studs" Terkel was an American author, historian, actor, and broadcaster. He received the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1985 for "The Good War", and is best remembered for his oral histories of common Americans, and for hosting a long-running radio show in Chicago.

Terkel was acclaimed for his efforts to preserve American oral history. His 1985 book "The Good War: An Oral History of World War Two", which detailed ordinary peoples' accounts of the country's involvement in World War II, won the Pulitzer Prize. For "Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression", Terkel assembled recollections of the Great Depression that spanned the socioeconomic spectrum, from Okies, through prison inmates, to the wealthy. His 1974 book, "Working" also was highly acclaimed. In 1995, he received the Chicago History Museum "Making History Award" for Distinction in Journalism and Communications. In 1997, Terkel was elected a member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters. Two years later, he received the George Polk Career Award in 1999.

Reviews

[Erik Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rambling, but charming, this is one of Terkel's autobiographical efforts. Written near the end of his life--he was 93--it ranges through the 20th and into the 21st century, celebrating not only the many, ordinary and extraordinary, who touched his life, but also the city of Chicago.

I was brought up with Terkel, primarily through WFMT radio, his primary employer from 1952 on, "Chicago's Fine Arts Station". There he hosted a talk show, interviewing a wide range of persons and occasionally producing, with Jim Unrath, an audio documentary. Dad was a big fan, collecting most of Studs' books at signing events, listening religiously to his programs. For me, Studs was a bridge between Dad's generation and mine, articulating what Dad didn't--or couldn't--about The War, The Depression, and, of course, the 50s.

Although not the most coherent book, Terkel's generosity of spirit, optimism and open-mindedness make it a heartening read.

[Jan C · Rating 4 out of 5]

A romp through Studs Terkel's memories. Luckily he was able to lift them from previous books. My mother was a big fan of his. So I took a number of her books, including a number of Studs'.

Years ago I read Hard Times and enjoyed it. My mother started with Division Street: America and moved on to Working.

I was more than halfway through this book on my Kindle before it dawned on me that I had a hard-cover copy in the other room. It will be donated to the local AAUW book sale in June.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great conversationalist's book. Reading it is like talking with a friend over a beer or a glass of wine. Studs has been around a long time and seen a lot of changes. He is a lover of humanity and it comes through in everything he talks about. This is a book that will guide the reader to other authors and thinkers - and not necessarily the one's that agree with you - or with Terkel. He helps the reader to appreciate what has come before us and to look foreward to what's coming next. He encourages us to be a part of whatever is happening - always with the love of others in our hearts.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Louis "Studs" Terkel is someone I've followed through the years (Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression, Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do, The Good War: An Oral History of World War II, Talking to Myself: A Memoir of My Times) and found to be a fascinating chronicler of the past American century. Studs lived to be 96, and he certainly squeezed a lot of living into those years. "My epitaph? My epitaph will be, 'Curiosity did not kill this cat.'"

I'd strongly suggest visiting his archive, where you can listen to hundreds of the radio interviews he conducted from 1953-97.

[John Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many years ago I read two of Studs Terkel's books of recollections from everyday people, "Working" detailing many different professions and "Hard Times" about the Depression and really enjoyed them. It was a treat to read of his recollections of his life when he was in his 90's near the end of his life. Going through the depression, being blacklisted, a radio and TV personality, actor and chronicler of the common man Louis "Studs" Terkel led a very interesting life. His memoir is amazing, though many of the personalities he referenced were not familiar to me. I need to sample clips of his TV show "Stud's Place" and read and perhaps reread some more of his books.

[Andi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book where he pulls it all together, published one year before his death; great stories with so many personalities of his days. But the real worth is in the final chapters where he expounds on his views of where we are all headed: our cities, our country, our world. For his sake, I am glad that he is not here to witness where we have landed today; but it is our loss, for surely he would have had words of hope and wisdom - a perspective for us to cling to...

[Jon Koebrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terkel lived quite a life and I count his oral histories as some of the books that have had some of the longest thought generating content in my adult life. I did not know all he did and accomplished. Touch and Go delivers intelligence, human empathy, culture, and much history. This book is 3.75 stars good and I highly recommend his books such as The Good War, Working, Hope Dies Last, Hard Times, and more that were enlightening histories on the perspectives and experiences of real Americans.

[Prima Seadiva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook. Reader okay. More like 2.5
It was a recounting of various incidents in his life mostly in his younger years. While interesting the book felt like a jumble of non connected events rather than an overview of his life. Ironically less cohesive than many of his books where he interviews other people about their lives.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I enjoyed reading this book, a slightly wandering collection of Stud's autobiographical musings, it made me hungrier to go back and read his other works like Hard Times, Race, etc. Reading this, I felt like I was sitting across from Studs at the Billy Goat Tavern, listening as he tried to tell the story of his life but was constantly distracted by the lives of others he has encountered. A story from his childhood reminds him of six other stories, five of which he tells. The result feels real and warm yet it also somewhat avoids true self-examination.

On the other hand, Stud's sheer breadth of knowledge on history and popular culture of the 20th century (especially the 30's/40's/50's) is amazing and it made me want to know more about all the things he talks about--especially in regards to progressive movements and to the crazy political world of Chicago.

At the end, it's hard not to hear Stud's weariness at our country's horrific case of historical "Alzheimer's," and his words seem prophectic:

"Haven't we learned anything from the Great Depression of the thirties? Haven't we learned that the Free Market (read: individual) fell on its face and begged a benign federal government (a gathering of minds) to help?" (p. 252)

When Studs died on October 31st, I felt so sad that he hadn't lived through the election--especially given the result. However, it suddenly occurs to me that it might have been watching history repeat itself this last September that truly broke his heart.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Studs Terkel's memoir is a cultural history of the 20th century, coverging his career as radio broadcaster-author-actor from the 1930s through the end of the century. Terkel will probably be best remembered for his oral histories, which he started as an offshoot of the WFMT program guide, which published excerpts from his interviews. Andre Schiffrin suggested doing a book on an American "village" in the way Jan Myrdal had written about peoples' lives in "Report from a Chinese Village" about the impact of the Communist takeover. Terkel initially thought the comparison between a village and the big city was ridiculous but turned it into "Division Street: America."

Terkel remains a fiery liberal, using his last chapter to attack the Randian cult of the individual:

"Einstein, on the contrary, believed that an individual working with others in assemblage strengthens his individuality. In recognizing that there are others who dream, hope and work as he does -- for a better world -- he is not alone.

Haven't we learned anything from the Great Depression of the thirties? Haven't we learned that the Free Market (read: individual) fell on its face and begged a benign federal government (a gathering of minds) to help?"

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

We lost a great one in Studs Terkel, but this memoir to me unfortunately lives up to its title: it's a bit touch and go. There are some remarkable sections and then some that seem kind of disjointed and out of the flow of the rest of the book. Studs is rambling a bit in parts. In other parts, you just don't feel like you're getting the whole story.

Still, I doubt I'll be able to do better if I make it into my nineties. This doesn't keep up with all of the remarkable work that Terkel did earlier in his career about other people and important social issues, but he does make some fine points here still. The best material relates to blacklists and other witch hunts and the careers that they affected and the exceptional lives of people who were fighting against American conservatism. Read it if you have read other Terkel, but return to Working, Hard Times, or The Good War for more powerful work.

[Lanier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truth to Power and “A Lover’s Quarrel with the World”
82%


Approximately 15 years ago (1992):
~ A Black couple came up to Studs Terkel and they wanted to thank him or just acknowledge to him, “We’ve been coming to Ricardo’s every year for 40 years, commemorating our wedding. In the ‘50s it was the only place in this area that accepted Black people.”

Blue Note Jazz Club was the only other place in town in the ‘50s and ‘60s that accepted Black people.

Frank invited Studs and wife to meet Duke Ellington to protect Duke from racist people.

“All Men of Good Will Welcome”
He had a sign in his window today it would read, “all men and women of Goodwill welcome.” ~

Aside:

So much my world right now is revolving around Chicago! I am halfway through the first season of Boss with Kelsey, Kramer, and my favorite character or actress today Kathleen “Foxybottom” - a propose she plays a character named Kitty? I mean… Really? This is the one in a powerful City Hall office and she goes by Pussy Galore??

Not only was I reading one of my favorite authors of all time, Studs Terkel, I’m halfway through Martin Short’s memoir “I Must Say“, which I didn’t realize was written almost 20 years ago! While the former basically started SCT, the ladder has been built a name around SCT as well as John Candy, Eugene, Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Andrea Martin, and about 50 others that are a list or top comedians for the last 40 years. Ohhh, let’s not forget Lorne Michaels from Canada to NYC.

Back to “Touch n’ Go”
Chapter 24
Evil of Banality
In this chapter, Studs analyzes what he calls,
“A National Alzheimer’s” ~
Forgetting who we ARE, and who we want to BE; from where we have come

Terkel talks about how the country was struggling and has been for 50 or 70 (on top of the prior 450 years prior to the publication of this book which was the ‘90s, that Americans have been struggling with remembering who we really are.

Unfortunately, it’s happening globally now in 2025 in many nations The youth are listening to “rhetoric” into snippets and soundbites from “pundits” claiming to be in the know, but there’s absolutely no Critical Thinking which is what 97% of this book is about. As a reporter, you look for the truth. As a chronicler of humanity, as Studs Terkel was, ~You want to get the facts about people‘s lives correct; warts, blemishes, the ugly, the beautiful—everything! This is one reason why I do love Walter Isaacson‘s Biographies on Steve Jobs, and Dr. Jennifer Doudna, [Code Breaker] and I’ll eventually get to the one on Musk, because the ones I’ve read so far have shown Jobs at his worst, and Steve approved the publication before it was sent out because he didn’t want to be remembered as being just one thing. He wanted to be remembered as being human; the bearer of many errors, the butt of many jokes, an ASSHOLE, not just the brilliant mind that he was.

So when Terkel brings up this National Alzheimer’s, it’s cyclical and with SM, the closing of libraries, the banning of books, the control over women’s bodies, eradicating the hardest working contributors to most societies, controlling who can disseminate the news that is deemed worthy of being shared, it’s actually getting worse.

He ends, like the best Editorialists with:

99%
9:48.06
The CALLS to ACTION
The intellectual and The Hand can understand one another with:
Mutual Respect, Mutal Self-Esteem

People I must look into more deeply:

Nick von Hoffman
May Lou Wolf
Short Powerful Speech at Rally
"I began to realize rules are made by some people and the purpose of these rules is to keep you in YOUR PLACE. It is, at times, your duty to break some of these rules. This is such a time."

—and later responding on stopping highway development:

"If it could happen to me, it could happen to anybody. I now believe in Human Possibility; the things we all can do publically and politically. That's where the excitement is. You become aware and alive. It's not a dream, it's possible everyday stuff."

.Peggy Terry
Rose Rigsby
Dave Dellenger

And, of course, James Baldwin:

“History, as nearly no one seems to know, is not merely something to be read. And it does not refer merely, or even principally, to the past. On the contrary, the great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do. It could scarcely be otherwise, since it is to history that we owe our frames of reference, our identities, and our aspirations.”

9:53.48
100%
William Sloane Coffin, Jr.
Touchstone for Terkel - hearing his Yale Invocation Ceremony Speech nearly 40 years prior as Harvard’s Chaplin in the early 1960s

Prayer Addressed to Graduating Class of early 1960s

A Lover’s Quarrel with the World

Oh Lord, grant us grace to have a Lovers' Quarrel with the World we love. Come out and have this lovers’ quarrel not for what it is, but for what it still can be; so that there can be a little more love, a little more beauty than would've been there had you NOT had your Lovers' Quarrel. Number us, we beseech Thee, in the ranks forth from this university longing only for those things for which Thou makes us long. Men [and women] for whom the complexity of issues only reserve their zeal to deal with them. Men and women who alleviated pain by sharing it, and women and men who will risk something BIG for the Good. Who will recognize others for what they ARE rather what they're TOLD by others; who will regard that which ties us together rather than trivializes and separates us. [Those] who are willing to have a A Lover’s Quarrel with the World, not for what it is, but for what it still can be.”

[Andy Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can tell from the memoir that this was a garrulous, witty and energetic man. The memoir can feel somewhat jumpy and thought a minute but I really enjoyed it. It has lots to say from someone who after an interesting upbringing in his parents large boarding house in Chicago with a tough mother, is an early adopter of a new style of radio, a new style of TV near to TV's inception and a new style of journalism based on recording real people. Throughout he remains interested in music and progressive politics and finds himself on the wrong side of McCarthy's Unamerican Activities Committee blacklist. Along the way he meets a colourful cast of characters like but never consciously name drops and when you read more about him you realise he could have dropped a lot of famous names and told many more stories.

[James Surprenant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Studs Terkel and a big fan of his life’s.
This personal memoir isn’t on par with Working or Hope Dies Last, and while it had some great stories, overall Terkel tended to ramble on too often and occasionally wander seemingly aimlessly off the path.
Still, essential reading and recommended for anyone looking to know what 20th century life was like for the Americans can proletariat.
Written in the last half of the first decade of this century, I marvel at how far we’ve come (read ‘sunk’) since Touch and Go was penned and I can only wonder what Studs would make of our post-pandemic America; rife with civil ignorance, social media obsession, self- centered ‘individualism’ and the rising threat of fascism under the MAGA GOP.

[Gbug · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you know who Studs is and are a fan you will like this book. Most of his books are oral histories. Hard Times(the depression), The Good War(WWII), Working. He had an unabashed love for Chicago. I unabashedly hero worship Studs Terkel. This is an autobiography of sorts, just ramblings about his personal history. If you are unfamiliar with Studs start with the oral histories. So take it easy, but take it.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Studs Terkel's writing style is so easy to read that it almost wouldn't matter what he wrote about. Combined with his self-deprecating humor, this book flowed from beginning to end. With a career that ranged from early television to appearances in the 2000s with David Schwimmer, and the middle years filled with writing, disc jockeying, and anti-McCarthy-ing, Terkel's life experience is delightfully unique. This was my first of his books and won't be the last.

[Ryan and Sara Wendt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Memoir!

Studs Terkels book Touch and Go is an excellent memoir. In it he documents about his life through his writing. This book also talks about Chicago history at great length and value. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading a good memoir.

[Chris Schaffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exactly how you’d imagine a memoir of old Studs Terkel to be. Reminisces of old timers, old times. Reflections on the past and pessimistic thoughts on the future. Funny anecdotes. Old lefty political stories. History. Chicago stories. It’s all there.

[Alison Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this - such an interesting man.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Studs Terkel listens. He also knows how to tell a story. These are both important ways of being, as well as experiencing one's life to the fullest.

[Paul Basile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkable memoir from an original anti-fascist, written when he was 94 years old. The world needs more Studs.

[Steve Bera · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed one of his earlier books but not this one. This one was a literary and societal name dropper which left me dazed and confused.

[Harley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touch and Go is a brilliant, insightful memoir filled with poetic language and great stories by the legendary Studs Terkel. And the amazing thing is that he was 94 when he dictated the book or should I say carried on a conversation about his life.
I first encountered Studs Terkel in the 1970's through his oral history of work. A professor of mine, Nickolas Lindsay, son of Vachel Lindsay, was interviewed for the book. A radio and TV show host early in his career, Terkel was black-listed during the early 50's and under the surveillance of the FBI. He produced his first book of oral history when he was 55.
I actually listened to the audio version of this book read by Norman Dietz and it took awhile for me to get into the rhythm of the book. Studs jumps back and forth in time frequently, sometimes within the same sentence. And he is always going off on tangents. Early in the book he is talking about his father's moustache when he is eight. Soon he is talking about the actors in silent films. He constantly makes historical and cultural references to people and places. I first thought it probably would have been better to read the book than to listen to it because it would be easier to catch all his references. I realized as I was finishing the book that the audio version was probably best because it was like listening to Studs tell stories and carry on a conversation. It might be boring to actually read it. It took awhile to get used to the voice of Norman Dietz. At first I found him annoying.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves language, history and stories.

[Johnsergeant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narrated by Norman Dietz
Unabridged: 9 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's Summary
At nearly 95, Studs Terkel has written about everyone's life, it seems, but his own. In Touch and Go, he offers a memoir that, embodying the spirit of the man himself, is youthful, vivacious, and enormous fun.

Terkel begins by taking us back to his early childhood with his father, mother, and two older brothers, describing the hectic life of a family trying to earn a living in Chicago. He then goes on to recall his own experiences as a poll watcher charged with stealing votes for the Democratic machine, as a young theatergoer, and eventually as an actor himself in both radio and on the stage - giving us a brilliant and often hilarious portrait of the Chicago of the 1920s and 1930s. He tells of his beginnings as a disc jockey after World War II and as an interviewer and oral historian, a craft he would come to perfect and indeed personify. Finally, he discusses his involvement with progressive politics, leading inevitably to his travails during the McCarthy period, when he was blacklisted and thrown out of work, despite having become by then one of the country's most popular television hosts.

Fans of Studs Terkel will find much to discover in these remarkable reminiscences. Others will be captivated to learn of the unique and eclectic life of one of America's greatest living legends.

©2007 Studs Terkel; (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Studs Terkel stood up for gay rights, racial equality, and quality journalism early and often. I enjoyed hearing how he charted his way in the new medium of television with his show Studs' Place. He is quite eloquent in his emphasis on the importance of knowing your history and how little modern day America does. Otherwise, we can be lead around anyway others see fit. He discusses his disarming interview style where his fumbling with technology (his tape recorder) can have the interviewee feel needed and how he always approaches each subject with respect.

He ends his book with an invocation by Rev. William Sloan Coffin talking about a "lover's quarrel" we all must have with the world because it it worth it and necessary:

"Oh Lord, as we leave this university, let these be young men and young women for whom the complexity of issues only served their zeal to deal with them; young men and young women who alleviated pain by sharing it; and young men and young women who were always willing to risk something big for something good. So that we may have in the world a little more truth, a little more justice, a little more beauty than would have been there, had we not loved the world enough to quarrel with it for what it is not but still can be. Oh God, take our minds and think through them, take our lips and speak through them, and take our hearts and set them on fire."

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm embarrassed to admit that, although I have heard Studs on the radio many times and read several short pieces by him, this is the first full book of his which I have read. I'm sorry I waited so long. This is a memoir. He does talk about himself in it, but the majority of his time is spent talking about other people who meant something to him along the way, either good or bad. He has an impressive list of heros and role models and I'm betting you've never heard of most of them. From time to time Studs gets into a sort of free-association rambling style of telling a story which can make it a little hard to follow, but once you get a feel for what he is doing it makes sense. By Studs' own admission he is an interviewer, not a writer, and that is very clear in the style in which this book is written. It's easy to imagine him talking to you in that unique, gravelly Chicago voice as you read, which helps to make it all the more entertaining.

In one chapter in this book Studs Terkel lays out the best case I've ever read or heard for government stepping in to help the citizens who put them in charge when the free market falls on its face. It is, of course, a chapter about The Depression and the New Deal. This should be required reading in civics classes across the nation.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author of the Prologue writes “I’m also very impressed to see that [Studs’] feistiness, his humor, and his incredible memory have been totally undiminished by age” (xi). Those three things are exactly what impressed me about Studs when I attended his 90th birthday party, a public event at the Chicago History Museum. I hadn’t read him, or even heard of him at the time, but my professor had urged my classmates and I to attend, explaining that the man with the funny name was a Chicago institution. I remember thinking to myself that I would be an incredibly lucky person to reach his age with his wit.

It’s wonderful to read of Studs’ fascinating life. There are many special moments in this book, particularly his admiration for friends of his active in the civil rights movement. But I think the parts I like best are when he recounts life in the Chicago SRO that his mother ran. What an incredible mix of characters, an unbelievable cross-section of Chicago life at the time. It was there that he met many of the kinds of working people who he would famously interview later as an adult. Young people like me are lucky to have access to that place and time and people thanks to Studs’ art.

[Jay French · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably not the best book to start with in reading Studs Terkel, his memoir wanders quite a bit, with anecdotes sometimes pithy and memorable, sometimes just leftist name dropping. Outside of the few good stories (the ones about Stud's Place and about his wife are most memorable to me), you read a lot about what he thought about people, but mostly these are things you could have guessed if you knew any of his history. On audio, many of these stories didn't have the ability to capture the listener, unlike Stud's old radio shows. At least that's how I experienced it - I guess I'm not that into the historic union leaders, socialists, communists, FBI agents, politicians, etc. that made up a majority of this volume. It got to the point that the book felt like one of those long "thanks to" lists on the end of a movie that includes everyone tangentially involved, except this was a thanks to list of people Studs had thought about or talked to over the decades. But I did appreciate his stories on entertainment, especially the radio stories. The radio stories alone brought my rating up a star.

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited to read this for book club. It sounded like it could be full of amazing stories, but it fell short for me. Through all of the first half of the book I was questioning whether I could push through and finish. It reminded me of Kerouac's writing - jumping around and never quite holding onto one story for more than a page or so.

The 2nd half was more enjoyable -- meaning I enjoyed reading some his stories and they began to connect with the next thing he mentioned, and so on. In the end, there were definitely interesting moments, but overall it didn't work for me. I hate saying that because I do admire this man and everything he experienced and accomplished, and the honest life he led, but this book didn't do him justice.

[Marcy]

I'm so sorry, everyone who read this book and loved it. After 67 pages, I felt like I was reading a book in another language. I was incredibly frustrated! I could not relate to most of the people Studs was talking about; I had no previous knowledge about Chicago and its people. I had a hard time following his life, which I was understanding, because he kept throwing in name after name of people I had never heard of! I gave up; I never give up! I think of myself as a reader, and I feel totally illiterate!